Are Baby Monitor Temperatures Accurate?

My new monitor comes with room temperature sensors. However, I had doubts about the accuracy of my baby monitor. Here’s what you need to know about it!

Many parents have complained about the temperature reading accuracy of their baby monitor. The problem is not the sensors of the baby monitor itself but mostly where it’s placed inside the baby’s room. Also, the quality of the products can impact the temperature reading.

If you’re like me, who seeks answers everywhere online until your 100% assured. You probably have landed on different forums, checked reviews, and comment sections, where parents are going crazy because of their baby monitors misreading room temperature.

Just like them, I also get panicked, or at least I was startled when my baby monitor displays a higher temperature than normal. 

However, I feel like inaccurate temperature reading is the norm among most baby monitors. Or am I doing something wrong? 

Learn what I found out below.

This article will cover:

• How accurate are baby monitor temps?
• Why is the baby monitor temperature not accurate?
• Best baby monitors with temperature alarm
• Do I need an extra room thermometer for my baby?
• Takeaway

How accurate are baby monitor temps?

Temperature sensors in baby monitors are pretty much a hit or miss. The acceptable range of variation is 2 degrees more or less. However, in many cases, the readings can be off for as much as 10 degrees.

Plenty of components affect the accuracy of a baby monitor’s temperature. An element could easily change one baby monitor’s temperature while another monitor could stay “unaffected.” 

Listed below is a list of commonly used baby monitors and the problems (and fixes) encountered and done by actual parents. 

Motorola baby monitor

Reviews say that all the features on the Motorola Baby Monitor are great aside from the battery life and temperature gauge, which always seems inaccurate. 

One says that the temperature always rounds up to the nearest 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Seconded by other reviews who experience the same 75-78 degrees on their monitor. 

In a forum, mom’s we’re trying to see where the Motorola picks up the warmth when their nursery room is just about the right temperature for their baby (thanks to a secondary thermostat). A mom even tried putting the monitor on the floor to see if the high temp is because of the monitor being positioned high up in the room but still got an incorrect reading.

A few agreed that it could be that the monitor is picking up its own heat as it only works best when plugged in. 

Infant Optics

Checking the Infant Optics on Amazon, you’d see a whopping 4.5 rating out of 45,745 reviews. A clear indication of how popular this product is. 

I got curious, so I tried filtering for bad reviews of the product. 

Many people got disappointed by Amazon that it hasn’t found out or isn’t doing anything about the product you have purchased, mainly because of the great reviews you’ve read. You’d say it’s just a marketing strategy, and I guess it’s fine as long as the product works terrific as it says on the reviews. 

Yet, in a question and answer thread, a worried mom posted that she finds the temperature on the Infant Optics incorrect because it reads 75-77 degrees Fahrenheit when the house thermometer shows 70 degrees. Many moms chimed into the thread and said they experienced the same thing. Someone even said that hers is going nuts because it has a 10 degrees difference from the actual room temp.

Angelcare

Angelcare has a range of baby monitoring products, from cameras, motion and breathing sensors, and audio monitors. Thermometers also come with some of these.

Discussions were circulating between mom and dad forums. Their Angelcare monitor reads a different temperature than other baby monitors and stand-alone room thermometers. There were various observations, but the most common is that the Angelcare reads a higher temperature than the actual. One mom said that hers always say 25 degrees Celsius when it’s just 20 degrees in the room. This discrepancy could spell a threat mainly to newborn babies. 

In light of this problem, Angelcare suggests purchasing a 2nd (stand-alone) room thermometer to gauge a correct reading. The company admitted that the sensor in their unit is susceptible to anything placed near it, as fans and heaters. 

iBaby

The Ibaby monitor has a built-in temperature and humidity sensor so you can tell if the air around your baby is optimal for comfort. However, there were reports of the temperature reading being inaccurate. 

One of them said that despite the temperature fluctuations inside the room, the task didn’t budge and stayed at 75 degrees throughout. Some reported that the discrepancy could range from 2 to 10 degrees higher than the actual room temperature.

One even said that their iBaby measured 28 degrees Celsius. In winter! But maybe it was just the heater doing its job pretty well.

VTech baby monitor

In a Reddit forum, a mom posted that she tried turning on the alerts on her VTech monitor for when the temperature goes high. It was supposed to ensure their baby’s room is at optimum temperature but gave them anxiety instead because the alarm goes off EVERY TIME. They tried adjusting to a different threshold, but the baby monitor keeps giving them the “false alarm.” Another user said she experienced the same temperature fluctuating from 68-75 degrees in 5 minutes. They decided to turn the alert off completely. 

However, a few users said the Vtech’s thermometer was off up to 4 degrees. In contrast, some said it was within an acceptable range of around 2 degrees plus or minus.

For more accurate temperature readings, users are advised to point the sensor 90 degrees away from the camera since the monitor heats up due to extended use.

Hello baby

It is another non-Wi-Fi monitor that uses FHSS wireless transmission. Compared to Vtech’s screen, this one has a slightly bigger display at 3.2 inches, offering more details. The camera can be remotely controlled to the pan (355 degrees) and tilt 120 degrees so you can adjust its angle conveniently.

A review said that the temperature on the Hello Baby is surprisingly accurate. Another one said that it only has a difference of 1 degree compared to a stand-alone room thermometer’s reading, which is pretty understandable. It is not the best baby monitor out there. Still, Hello Baby is gaining positive feedback from people who bought it, not only because of its bang-for-buck features but also the company’s excellent customer service. 

4 out of 4 users were happy at how accurate their Hello baby monitor was at reading the temperature in their baby’s room.

So far, Hello baby is winning this.

Summer baby monitor

Only a few users reported inaccurate temperature reading in their summer baby monitor. One said that it deviated around 6 degrees warmer than what it actually felt like. This happened when the monitor has mounted up the ceiling.

When the user put another camera in a lower place, the reading went down around 7 degrees.

The Summer Baby monitor’s color-changing baby unit helps parents to quickly gauge if the nursery is at a comfortable temperature without having to get up at night. It is the best aspect because most of the bad reviews are about its other features like the loud static feedback, the mic being too sensitive, and interference. One even said that you’re going to buy a Summer Baby solely for temperature reading.

Why is the baby monitor temperature not accurate?

Sensors built into baby monitors are a bit too sensitive to provide a 100% accurate reading. A few factors hinder baby monitors from giving proper lessons from what I’ve learned as an amateur internet sleuth.

Here’s what can cause variation in temperature monitoring:

1- Position of the monitor in the room

Maybe the other parents and I judged our baby monitors too soon. As it turned out, the placement of the device has a significant impact on its ability to accurately reflect room temperature.

Sensors placed too close to the ceiling are most likely to return false readings since warm air rises and accumulates up there. From now on, there will be no more ceiling-mounted monitors.

2- Too close to the window

Although most of the users complaining that their baby monitors read warmer temperatures than the actual, sensors can also return inaccurate readings that are cooler.

Baby monitors near windows are most likely to give lower temperature readings, especially if it is open and windy.

3- Too close to Heater/AC

The same principle applies here. ACS releases cool air while heaters emit heat. It should not be surprising if sensors’ temperature readings are thrown off by these appliances.

Find a spot for the baby monitor that is far enough to be affected.

The best baby monitor with a temperature alarm

The newest baby monitors offer so many features. It’s easy to forget how useful temperature sensors and alarms are in making sure that your baby is comfortable.

Here are the top baby monitors that have temperature alarm and other useful features:

Miku Smart Baby Monitor

This baby monitor is Wi-Fi enabled, which means it has an unlimited range. Through the app that you can download and install on your phone, you can check in on your baby from anywhere in the world.

In addition to HD video and night vision capability, Miku smart baby monitor reads your baby’s breathing and sleeping patterns. There is no need for any wearables that might be uncomfortable for your kid. Its talk-back feature and playable lullabies will help you ease them back to sleep even when you’re in a different location.

Its wireless connection has 2-factor authentication for extra security that makes your network impenetrable to hackers.

This award-winning baby monitor has more than the essential features with fewer wearables and wires.

For more details, check the Miku smart baby monitor on Amazon here!

Arlo Baby

This robot-looking monitor is not only cute but a competitive product. At 1080p, it delivers clear, bright, and colorful images through a Wi-Fi connection.

Unlike other popular brands, the Arlo can stream audio to your smartphone even when you put the app in the background. It means you can do other things on your phone without taking your ears off of your baby. It’s so simple, a feature only Arlo baby can do.

For more details, check the Arlo on Amazon here!

Do I need an extra room thermometer for the baby?

I find the tendency of baby monitors to misread temperature readings even within 2 degrees above or below a bit concerning, if not also disappointing. For me, it’s better to spend a few extra bucks if it will ensure that my kid is comfortable and safe.

If you feel what I feel and thinking of getting your nursery its thermometer, read on.

Best room thermometer for baby

I am personally vouching for GroEgg. It’s a nursery thermometer that works as a night light providing illumination that is easy on the eyes.

Its egg-shaped design is made of soft material so that it is squishy like a boiled egg. In contrast, its base is made of harder material, and where it shows the temperature reading in digits.

It has four levels of color that correspond to the current temperature. Blue is cold, 16 degrees (Celsius) below; yellow is the recommended temperature, from 16 to 20 degrees; orange is warm at 20 to 24 degrees; red is hot, 24 degrees and above.

For more details, check the GroEgg on Amazon here!

Is the GroEgg accurate?

This nursery thermometer is accurate. I love it because you won’t always have to walk up to it to see the exact temperature. The GroEgg has an additional feature of indicating temperature with the help of colors. It has 4 colors, namely blue, red, orange, and yellow, that indicate room temperature. Just by looking at the color of its light, you’ll know if your baby’s room is within the zone of comfort. This monitor is very easy to use. It has a large display screen that helps you easily read the temperature even if it is very dark.

Many users are happy with GroEgg as it proves to be the product that it advertises.

Where should you put a thermometer in a room?

Put it where the sun cannot reach it, preferably at the northern corner or side of the room (considering equinoxes and solstices for us in the northern hemisphere).

Find a perfect location where it’s not too close or too far from the ground. At about 5 feet from the floor should be the sweet spot.

Takeaway

The placement of your baby monitor affects its temperature sensor’s accuracy. But this can be mitigated by observing the nursery’s environment and understanding other sources of warmth and cold.

Users should also expect some deviation from the actual temperature due to the sensor’s sensitivity.

Though a few baby monitors have this feature working perfectly for some users, purchasing a separate thermometer for the nursery seems to be a better option.

As a parent, I want to make sure that my kid is comfortable and not too warm or too cold. If I need to buy one more tiny device to help me pin down the right temperature measurement in my little monkey’s room, I will buy it.